When your message absolutely must get through, nothing beats SMS marketing. Not only is it convenient, timely, and efficient, it’s also applicable and effective at every stage of the customer lifecycle.

So, is it time for your company to embrace SMS marketing? Below we’ll explore this increasingly impactful form of marketing and examine the benefit it can have for your organization over the long haul.

What is SMS Marketing?

Just for the sake of due diligence, and so that we leave no gaps, let’s break down what exactly SMS marketing is.

SMS is short for short message service and it’s a way to send text-only messages of up to 160 characters long to one or more recipients. Note that people must opt-in to receive texts from your brand, as sending unsolicited branded SMS messages is illegal. 

What Makes SMS so Valuable?

While email marketing is part of any fully-baked marketing plan, the average email open rate of 20% leaves you with an audience you have to find additional ways to interact with. The average SMS open rate on the other hand is approximately 95% and while you most likely will not be sending the same amount of SMS messages in comparison to email messages, this level of potential engagement should not be ignored.

With a marketing automation platform you have the ability to automate SMS messages to your audience based on a variety of factors. Those factors could be behavioural based on engagement from previous marketing activities, the recipient meeting a certain set of data and segmentation criteria, or a combination of both. You can also mix and match the types of communications you are sending out in your automated programs. You could start your program with an email, for example, and then have the automated follow up communication be a text message. You can also A/B test both communication types and see which drives more results.

The sky really is the limit when you start to incorporate SMS into your marketing automation efforts, and it’s important to adopt a test and learn approach to maximize its value.

SMS is One of the Most Personal Forms of Communication

In today’s digital climate where personalization is absolutely essential in your marketing efforts, we are seeing an increasing number of customers adopting SMS marketing. It’s deeply personal nature is a huge reason for this and its use cases for interacting with prospects and customers will continue to grow as technology continues to evolve. 

In getting branded SMS messages, most consumers’ guards are down. They’re expecting something casual that speaks directly to them and most often, that’s what they’re receiving. 

Be Mindful of Consumer Expectations with SMS Marketing

The kicker with SMS messaging is the personalization involved. 

That same intimacy you have when sending texts back and forth with a spouse–for instance–asking to pick up some milk on the way home or asking “how was work?” needs to exist. Otherwise, it might seem like an invasion, an imposition, or just outright spam. 

When writing an SMS marketing text, you’re utilizing emojis, shorthand text, making messages more direct, friendly, and personalized to the recipient. It has shifted away from the formality of emails (which use antiquated terms like “dear” and “regards”).

The Challenges Involved with SMS Marketing

You need to compile a list of customers who have opted-in to receive your SMS messages. You will also need to properly segment them into various audience types, who are at different stages of the customer lifecycle. This is essential to sending truly personalized and effective SMS messages.

Successful marketers are always looking for alternative ways to support, energize, and expand their customer base. So whether you are just getting started with SMS marketing, or need help driving the desired business results with your existing SMS efforts, contact us today to learn more about how Goose Digital can help.